Gondia, or Gondiya (Marathi: गोंदिया), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in Central India, and is the administrative headquarters of the Gondia District. Gondia is also known as Rice City due to the abundance of rice mills in the area. It is a very important city in the Vidarbha region. Gondia is very close to the state of Madhya Pradesh, and is considered the gateway to Maharashtra from Central and Eastern India.There are large number of rice mills and some small scale tobacco industries.

In ancient time, this region was ruled over by Gond kings. The rich dense forest reflects the culture of Gond people the main business at that time was to collect lak (sealing wax) from Palas tree and Gum from Babul tree, Gum is called as Gond in Hindi, therefore the name Gondia is tagged to the place.[2]

Gondia was part of the kingdom of Maha Kosala, ruled by the Haihaya Rajput kings of Chhattisgarh in the 7th century[citation needed] and retains some recollection of Hindu kings who ruled from Nagardhan.

The 12th century saw the rule of Ponwars who were subsequently ousted by Gond chiefs who asserted their independence of the Ratanpur dynasty. This was followed by Raghoji Bhonsle of Satara who established himself as the king of Vidarbha in 1743. In 1755, Janoji was declared as the sovereign of the territory, after the death of his father Raghoji Bhonsle. The two brothers Mudhoji and Rupaji of Raghoji Bhonsle of Hingani-Beradi were contemporaries of Shahaji, the father of Chhatrapati Shivaji and one of the ancestors of the Bhonsles of Nagpur who rehabilitated the village of Beradi was probably the contemporary of Maloji, the grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji. After the death of Sambhaji, during the Mughal-Maratha conflict, Parasoji rendered invaluable help to Rajaram who had succeeded to the throne of Chhatrapati. The territories of Vidarbha and Berar from which he had exacted tribute were given to his charge under a grant made in 1699 A.D.

In 1707 after the death of Aurangzeb when Shahu was released by Muhammad Azam, Parasoji Bhonsle was the first of the Maratha nobles to join him in west Khandesh.

The 17th century saw the invasion of the Peshwas who were instrumental in making the district a part of Berar. The Peshwas were succeeded by the Nizams during the 1850s; the Nizam ceded Berar to the British East India Company. In 1903, the Nizam leased Berar to the British Government of India. It was transferred to the Central Provinces. In 1956, with the re-organization of states, Bhandara was transferred from Madhya Pradesh to Bombay Province and in 1960 with the formation of Maharashtra; it became a district of the state. Gondia district was carved out by division of Bhandara district after the 1991 Census.

The Nagar parishad of Gondia was established on 1 April 1920. Earlier there were only ten ward members, but now it has increased to forty members. Seth Ramprasad Agarwal was the first president of Gondia, while the first CO was G V Kanhe. At that time, the population of Gondia was nearly 20,000, Now the urbanization of the city reached towards neighbouring villages like, Kudwa, katangi, fulchur, karanja, murri & nagra making increase in population near 170,000. Gondia is sixth largest city of vidharbha. Area of Gondia is 20 sq & nbsp;km. In 1949, the area of the city was increased according to CP & Berar, but after that there has been no increase in the area of the city despite the increase in the population. Gondia has seen 20 Presidents, and 13 times the work of Nagarparishad was under administration. The longest serving President of Gondia Municipal Council is Shri. Manoharbhai Patel and after him Shri Ramnath Asekar was president for 11 years.

Known as the District of Lakes and the City of Rice, resplendent with natural beauty, Gondia district occupies only 1.76% of the total area in the northeast corner of Maharashtra State.

Its main river, Wainganga, flows from the northern boundary of the district. Wainganga’s main tributary is Baagh, which flows from the northeast parts of the district. Wainganga’s other tributaries Bavanthadi, Pangoli, Chulband and Gadhavi also flow through the district.

The district’s largest dam, Itiyadoh, with a capacity of 318 cu m is on the river Gadhavi in Arjuni-Morgaon taluka. Apart from this there are many large dams such as Shirpur, Pujaritola, Kalisarad as well as smaller dams at Mangarh, Sangrampur, Bodalkasa in the district.

Almost half the district has good forest cover. With mountainous terrain, different grades of soil, extreme climatic conditions on one side and many rivers and rich bio-diversity on the other side, Gondia district displays nature’s variety. Navegaon National Park and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in the district are famous tourist destinations.

Gondia district is rich in mineral ores of manganese, iron, chromites, kainite, quartzite, caesium and vanadium.

Gondia is situated in the extreme eastern side of Maharashtra.

It lies between the north latitude of 20.39 and 21.38 and east longitudes of 89.27 to 82.42.

According to reports of the Indian census, the population of Gondia in 2011 consisted of 132,889 people, of which 66,756 were male and 66,133 were female. The sex ratio of Gondia city is 991 women per 1000 males.

The total amount of literates in Gondia city was 112,490, of which 58,721 were males and 53,769 were females. The average literacy rate of Gondia city was 93.70 percent, of which male and female literacy was 97.70 and 89.69 percent respectively.

The total amount of children (0–6) living in Gondia city was 12,835, according to the figures from the Census India report on 2011 (6,652 boys and 6,183 girls). The child sex ratio is 929 girls per 1000 boys. Gondia city is governed by a municipal council and the city is situated in Maharashtra State.

Below table shows details of the census for 2011 with comparison to 2001.[1]

Description

2011

2001

Actual Population

1322331

1200707

Male

662524

598834

Female

659807

601873

Population Growth

0.1013

0.1054

Area km2

5234

5234

Density/km2

253

229

Proportion to Maharashtra Population

0.0118

0.0124

Sex Ratio (Per 1000)

996

1005

Child Sex Ratio (0-6 Age)

944

958

Average Literacy

85.41

78.52

Male Literacy

93.54

89.61

Female Literacy

77.3

67.58

Total Child Population (0-6 Age)

136116

171191

Male Population (0-6 Age)

70015

87427

Female Population (0-6 Age)

66101

83764

Literates

1013144

808414

Male Literates

554230

458266

Female Literates

458914

350148

Child Proportion (0-6 Age)

0.1029

0.1426

Boys Proportion (0-6 Age)

0.1057

0.146

Girls Proportion (0-6 Age)

0.1002

0.1392

Following table shows the comparison of Rural Vs Urban population for Census 2011

Gondia experiences extreme variations in temperature with very hot summers and very cold winters and it has an average relative humidity of 62 percent. Also records average rainfall more than 1200 mm each year in rainy season.

During month of May daytime average temperatures will generally reach highs of around 42 °C that's about 108 °F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 28 °C, that's 82 °F. In recent times the highest recorded temperature in May has been 48 °C that's 118 °F, with the lowest recorded temperature 20 °C, about 68 °F.

During the month of December end / January temperatures will generally reach highs of around 29 °C that's about 84 °F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 13 °C, that's 55 °F. In recent times the highest recorded temperature in January has been 38 °C that's 101 °F, with the lowest recorded temperature 0 °C, about 32 °F.

Gondia receives rainfall from south-western winds, mainly in the months of June, July, August and September. July and August are the months during which the maximum rainfall as well as maximum continuous rainfall occurs. The average monthly amount of rain has been recorded at around 320 mm, that's 13 inches. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 21 days of the month. Below table shows rain in mm for five years

Agriculture is the main occupation of nearly 70% of the district’s population. Rich in natural beauty and bio-diversity, the district is the leading producer of rice in Maharashtra State because of its heavy rainfall and irrigation facilities. Due to this large production of rice, there are many rice mills in Gondia city. The city is thus rightfully known as the Rice City. Suvarna and Jaya varieties of rice are exported to the middle-east countries from here. As there are a number of lakes in the district, fish farming is common. Itiyadoh (Arjuni-Morgaon taluka) and Ambora (Gondia taluka) have Fish Seed Production Centre. Sugarcane is also grown in a few places. Wainganga Co-operative Sugar Factory is located at Madagi in Tiroda taluka.

This agrarian district has many agro-based small-scale industries also. Forest produce-based occupations include the collection of the leaves of the East Indian Ebony tree and rolling them into beedis. Fresh water fishing, collection of gum and sealing wax from the forests, weaving bamboo baskets, making various items made from clay such as bricks, roof tiles, pots and utensils and articles from animal horns are some of the other popular occupations. Adani Power Plant in Tirora is the only big unit near Gondia. Industrial estates have been established in the city of Gondia and Tiroda.

Bhavbhuti was an 8th-century scholar of India noted for his plays and poetry, written in Sanskrit. His plays are considered equivalent to the works of Kalidas. Bhavbhuti was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family of Padmapura (Amgaon), Vidarbha, Central India, in the Gondia district. Bhavabhuti Maha Vidyalya, one of the famous places in the Gondia District, has been given the name in the honour of Bhavbhuti.

Gondia is famous for its resident engineering college: Manohar Bhai Patel Institute of Engineering and Technology. Gondiya has one of the best education systems and the central board of education, better known as CBSE, plays a vital part of it. First girls school setup in the district by Kalicharan Nandagavali in year 1910, he has build a school for girls at his own expense at Gondia.,[5]

In Gondia there are two medical colleges, three engineering colleges, two MBA colleges, two polytechnic colleges, and five art and commerce and science colleges. Gondia also has a pilot training institute and NIATAM (National Institute of Aviation Technology and Management).

With over 85 years of experience within the educational space, the Podar Education Network has opened Pre-Primary school under the brand name of Podar Jumbo Kids, Primary and Secondary CBSE school under the brand name of Podar International School in Gondia city in 2013. www.podareducation.org/school/gondia

CAE and Oxford Aviation Academy (OAA) is the integration of two of the world’s largest & most established pilot training organizations providing aspiring pilots with a unique opportunity to train with the best. CAE OAA currently trains about 1,500 pilot cadets per year at 11 academies worldwide. The Gondia Academy is the largest flight school campus in India approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Gondia railway station is an important junction and has heavy passenger and goods traffic. It is an A-Grade station on Howrah-Mumbai route. The station has seven platforms. All platforms have adequately been provided with amenities such as potable water, tea stalls, benches and waiting sheds. There is a fruit stall and a book stall too. The station is also equipped with A/C waiting rooms for passengers travelling by upper accommodation classes and a waiting hall for passengers travelling by lower accommodation classes.

The great famine of 1878 provided an opportunity for the construction of 150 km long meter gauge link called the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway in 1882 connecting Nagpur with Rajnandgaon. Gondia Railway station came into existence in December 1888 when this line started working. The scope of BNR was greatly enhanced by the historic contract dated 23 January 1902. This contract provided railway line from Gondia to Jabalpur with Branches from Nainpur to Mandla, Nainpur to Seoni and Chhindwara. The "10001 Satpura Express", a narrow gauge train, was started in 1901 by the British Government and completed 100 years of service in 2001. This train used to hold the unique distinction of operating first class service on narrow gauge track; it is the world's fastest narrow gauge train. The first portion of Gondia-Nainpur section of 73 miles was opened on 13 April 1903. It was further extended till Jabalpur in 1905. Initially Gondia comes under the Nagpur Chhattisgarh railway and nice book can be found on Indian railways site.[8]

Some of the Mile stone in history of Gondia Railway station includes:

December 1888 - Gondia Railway Station opened for public

13 April 1903 - The first portion of Gondia-Nainpur (73 miles) was opened.

1905 - Nainpur-Gondia line was extended up to Jabalpur.

9th Nov 1908 - Gondia-Nagbhir-Nagpur line was opened for traffic. Mr Manson was Agent of BNR at that time

Gondia Airport is situated near Kamtha Village, 15 km from Gondia City. This Airstrip was built by the British during World War Two in 1940.[9] Initially run by the Public Works Department, it was taken over by the state-owned MIDC from August 1998[10] to December 2005, after which it has been operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The AAI has extended the runway at Gondia airport to 7,500 feet to handle the operations of aircraft like Airbus A-320 and Boeing 737.[11]

It is also home to a pilot training centre called National Flying Training Institute, one of the pilot training centres of CAEOAA Global Academy, which is a joint venture of CAE Inc, Canada and Airports Authority of India. NIATAM (National Institute of Aviation Technology and Management) is also functional near Gondia Airport. The airport is equipped with modern navigational aids like NDB, DVOR, DME, ILS and Night Landing Facilities. The airport has night landing facilities however there are no scheduled commercial flights into Gondia. The nearest airports with scheduled flights are at Raipur and Nagpur.

The Hazira (Surat)–Dhule–Nagpur–Raipur–Kolkata National Highway 6 (India) is the only national highway passing through the district, which covers to a total distance of 99.37 km. Gondia has bus connectivity to Jabalpur, Nagpur and Raipur.

Almost all the festivals are celebrated in Gondia. Worth to mention is Ganesh and Durga festival of Gondia is very famous in Central India. Gondia attracts thousands of people during Navratra. The people of Gondia spends lots of money on the pandols. More than 100 pandols can be seen in Gondia during Navratra. List of other festivals are:

Gondia is well surrounded by hills and forests, and numerous other tourist spots around the city. The most beautiful places are the Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and the Navegoan bandh National Park and Bird Sanctuary, which hosts many foreign birds. Pratapgarh is famous for the Shiv temple situated on the large hill.

The Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary is just 45 km from Gondia. Tigers and tigresses can be viewed there. Hajra Falls is also a major tourist spot in Salekasa tahsil, 45 km from the city. There is also an ancient Shiv temple, famously known as the "Nagra Shiv Temple", as it is situated in the vicinity of the village Nagra. The Maha-Shivratri festival celebrated in Nagra attracts many tourists from all over Maharashtra. All tourist locations are accessible by the trains and buses networks around Gondia. More than 100,000 tourists come to Gondia annually to see the green heaven of Gondia. The Navegoan badh bird sanctuary is 90 km from Gondia, and near the bird sanctuary there is very big dam/lake.

There are also two Guru-Dwaras, eleven Mosques, two Churches and a number of temples situated in the city. The Durga Temple and The Rani Sati Dhaam are recent additions.

The market of Gondia is dominated by Marwadi's, Punjabi's and Sindhi's.

Gondia has numerous newspapers. Marathi dailies enjoy the maximum readership share in the city and the top newspapers are Lokmat, Navbharat, Dainik Bhaskar, Samna, Lokjan, Sakaal, Vidarbha Chandika and Dainik Kashish.

Gondia has a doordarshan broadcasting centre at Ganesh Nagar. The strength of transmitter is 500w and the coverage range is 30 km. The height of doordarshan tower is 45 m. This center broadcast DD National and Syhadri Channels.

Gondia has FM broadcasting center at Ganesh Nagar near fire brigade office. Capacity of the center is 100W and distribution range is in 15 km radius. FM channel frequency is 100.1 MHz. This is relay station from Akashwani (AIR), India and currently broadcasting Vividh Bharti Programms from Delhi.